What does QID mean on a prescription?
QID means four times a day. A medicine prescribed QID is taken four times during your waking hours, usually with meals and at bedtime.
- Means:
- four times a day
- From:
- quater in die
- Type:
- How often
- Also written:
- qid, q.i.d., QID
What it means in practice
QID is Latin for quater in die, “four times in a day”. The usual pattern is breakfast, lunch, dinner and bedtime, which spaces doses roughly four to six hours apart while you are awake. Q6H is the stricter version that includes an overnight dose.
Example on a prescription
Amoxicillin 250 mg PO QID x 10 days
Take one 250 mg amoxicillin capsule by mouth four times a day for ten days.
Commonly confused with
- QDQD is once a day. Mistaking QD for QID means taking four times the intended dose.
- TIDTID is three times a day.
- Q6HQ6H means every six hours around the clock, including overnight.
Worth knowing
QID and QD are a well-documented confusion pair. If a handwritten prescription is ambiguous, the pharmacist should clarify with the prescriber rather than guess.
Frequently asked questions
What times should I take a QID medicine?
Commonly breakfast, lunch, dinner and bedtime. That keeps four doses inside your waking day without setting an overnight alarm.
Is QID the same as every 6 hours?
No. Q6H is every six hours by the clock, which means a dose overnight. QID fits four doses into your waking hours.
What does BID TID QID mean together?
They are the frequency ladder: BID is twice a day, TID three times a day, QID four times a day. All three come from the Latin for the number of times in die, 'in a day'.
Related abbreviations
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This page explains prescription notation for general information. It is not medical advice and does not replace your prescriber or pharmacist. If a label is unclear or differs from what you were told, check with your pharmacy before taking the medicine.